Kenyans join the world in observing Good Friday
Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the High Priest, Caiaphas, who was the President of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, which in modern times could be referred to as a Supreme Court.
Christians in Kenya and across the world have today begun the three-day solemn observation for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Today, the celebration started with the Way to the Cross celebration, with Christians walking with the cross to mark the way Jesus carried the heavy cross to Golgotha, where he was crucified.
Although the day is marked by sorrow and reflection, many people still question why it is referred to as ‘Good Friday’.
It is referred to as ‘Good’ because of the significance that came with the death of Jesus on the cross, which continues to inspire Christians to seek God for salvation.
This is because it represents the sacrifice and expression of the love of God to the human race.
On the Friday of crucifixion, Jesus willingly gave his life as a sacrifice for human sin—an act regarded as a profound display of love, as highlighted in 1 John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
Christians across various churches in Nairobi and other parts of the country participated in fasting and congregated to reflect and participate in a procession to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.
The Bible narrates that on the fateful Friday, Judas Iscariot revealed the whereabouts of Christ to the Jewish soldiers who went on to arrest Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Following his arrest, Jesus was taken to the High Priest, Caiaphas, who was the President of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, which in modern times could be referred to as a Supreme Court.
As per the Christian Holy Book, the council was planning to put Jesus on trial and was looking for a shred of evidence to justify a reason to put him to death.
After a brief interrogation, the council accused Jesus of blasphemy for claiming that he was the Christ. He was subsequently whipped before he was later forwarded to Pilate.
The laws of the Roman Empire did not allow them to put anyone to death. While at Pilate’s residence, they accused him of treason for going against the Roman government.
However, Pilate knew Christ was not guilty of any crime, but despite his stance, the crowd chose his crucifixion over the punishment of two thieves.
After public uproar, Pilate heeded the public call and handed Jesus over for crucifixion. Nonetheless, he washed his hands.
